Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-16
-a-=SESSNNiIa~
9ail1y eagle
A QUAINT OLD TOWN.
MULLET AND OTHER INDICATIONS
OF THE FISHING INTEREST.

MUCLET AND OTHER INDICATIONS
OF THE FISHING INTEREST.
Crew of Schooner on a SEEMING Expe-
dition-A School of Mullet-A GOOD
Catch-Dividing the Fish into Shares.
Luck.
Beaufort is quaint old town. or sort of
southern Nantucket, containing many relics
of colonial times, odorous of rnullet and other
olfactory indications OF the fishing interest.
1t has been somewhat left behind in the
march of modern progress and cut off from
the rest of the world, the terminus OF the rail
road being at Morehead City, two miles off
across the sound. Morehead is place, com
parativcly speaking, of yesterday, is more
pretentious, having modern hotel-the At
lantic-capable Of accommodating 400 or 500
guests, and OF slowing away as many as 500
Fishing, upon which the greater part OF
the community live, is a very interesting
matter quite worth examination in the in
terest of which we obtain permission to join
the crew Of a schooner on a seining expedi-
ton We turn out at 400 a. m and by the
light OF the paling stars and Frightening
dawn, get into ''vawl boat" and pull out to
the schooner. which is just getting under
way. She lows two Seine boats" the roomy
proportions and strong build of which are in
striking contrast to the fine lines of the
shaTpies. The schooner is manned By a
skipper, three hands and a cook. The fishing
crew consists Of six men. They are all
negroes but one-a white man who commands
the entire expedition.
A fresh southerly breeze is blowing; tho
anchor is weighed and we are soon beating
out of the sound toward the open sea. By
this time it is broad daylight; the cook, who
has been busy in the galley, arranges plates,
cups, knives and forks on the cabin hatch,
which forms an excellent table Accepting
an invitation to join the banquet, we con-
tribute thereto the contents of our lunch
basket. The meal consists of good hot bis
cults fried pork, and what we at first SUD-
posed to be coffee, but which turns out to be
a mixture of hot water and molasses. If this
liquid were served at the hotel table we should
probably reject it, but somehow, under the
present circumstances, its flavor, though
novel, IS not unpalatable
SCHOOL or MULLET.
Breakfast over, pipes are lighted, and one
=
OF mulet Just as the sun is rising over the
banks TO the eastward, he sings out, ''School
on the weather bow!1 The effect is galvanic.
The helm is damned hard a-lea; the little
craft flies round; the fishing crew tumble
over the stern into the boats, and stand bv.
ready to cast off when the word is given. In
a little while we are up with the fish: the
painter is let go; the boats propelled by long
/na,. Il c1r
seine Is rapidly paid out, =" and they cautiously
approach the school. IN few minutes they
are on its edge, and then begins the delicate
business OF inclosing it. The mullet dart
about and leap out OF the water; but they
don't know exactly which way to go, and
huddle together-a fatal instinct for them
Slowly, but surely, each boat describes a
semicircls, having the luckless fish securely
surrounded.
The next process IS that Of 'pursing," or
drawing the lower part Of the net together SO
that they can be ladled out with the hand
nets, fitted with rings about twenty inches in
diameter, at the end Of long poles This
operation accomplished, the schooner is hailed
and ranges up alongside Now comes tho
hard work. The pole nets arc distributed,
and the fish are dipped cut Of the purse" |
and transferred TO the hold Of the schooner.
which is fitted especially FOR the purpose. # |
1t Is good catch, from 10000 to $1,000 muI-
let are safely slowed, the seine is replaced in
the boats and we bear UP for home. On ar
rival the fish are ladled out on the wharf and
divided into shares, according to the number
of the crew and the amount Of investment
each may have. The days work entities to
one share, or "sheY," in the vernacular. If
capital is invested, the ''shers" aro arranged
pro rata.
MAKING TIE DIVISION.
The division Is made with much care, each
pile Of fish representing "sher." When it is
completed the crew form "A line, with their
backs to the heaps, to avoid ell possibility of
unfairness and the captain takes pole, and, |
touching one OF the heaps, asks, Who'll have |
this sher?7 q will" sings out somebody. |
"Jen's Sher. Come and take it, Jem" The !
process Is repeated until Tom, Jack, Bob and |
all have their "shers.' The portion belonging |
to the owners Of the schooner, boats and seine |
IS taken to them; and this completes the day. |
The men get their rations while out, but no |
pay, and are well content to take their /
chances of a catch A dav Of good luck |
and they are in the majority-will make the |
minimum earning-one share-worth about |
ht'N dNLillS Itub iilie LDe utSGlS are HeIeF- !
ally good, there are exceptions. Sometimes |
the catch is light and sometimes they VIII |
cruise all day without sighting 4 fish.
These occasions bring OUT the native good |
temper of the negro An English crew, at /
the end of such a days fruitless labor, would !
be in franc of mind certainly not Chris /
tan; but which would, nevertheless, find /
most probable expression in what the late
Mr.. Charles Reade calls "scripturaI terms"
The darby takes his disappointment differ
entity, turning it into q joke and being almost
rs light hearted and fun OF fun over ar empty
hold as with. n boat fun Of s'shers" Nearly
every description Of salt water fish is caught
In these waterS-shad, bluefish. macl5erel and
q great variety with local names. This Is tho
season Tor mullet They areSeined by tens of
brought 70 the wharveS. cleaned,
corned, PACKED into barrels and shipped /
away, usually within few hours The kegs
contain a hundred pounds OF fish, net; the
gross weight OF each being about l45 pounds.
The principal market is Raleigh and other in
land towns of the sta1e.-Beaufort N. c.
Cor. Boston Transcript
The Charming "1IiIk shake"
"liilk shaker Everybody in Cincinnati
and roundaDout has heard Of ii, thousands |
have drank it, yet TO most people it is alto
rRrner new IL * n birc c~'asS full ~ tsa,-1,.al